CLUB PHYSIO THE YOUNG ATHLETE The opportunities for our young footballers these days are endless. Great facilities, great coaches and an ever improving knowledge base can mean the training our children receive, is world class. There are some issues that can arise in our young players when they are training a lot however, that can restrict their enjoyment and performance. Club training, school training, academies, FTC’s, NTC’s, other sports and running around with their mates all adds load to a growing skeletal system, and can often overload the young athlete, causing pain and reduced enjoyment and performance. Signs of overload can be fatigue, complaints of niggling injuries that are not resolving, pain at the back of the heel (severs), or anterior knee (osgoed schlatters). How we manage the young athlete can have a big impact on their enjoyment and desire to stay in the game. Overtraining is when the load the athlete is under from training and non training stressors, has a detrimental effect on their performance that can last for weeks or months. (Winsley, R.J. & Matos, N., 2007)
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Signs of overtraining can be increased sensations of fatigue and heaviness, reduced motivation, muscle soreness, sleep disturbances and loss of appetite.
Some strategies to help manage the load: Make a training diary and look at how many sessions a week (formal and informal) your child is doing: •
Ensure they have a rest day.
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Ensure they get to sleep early at night (that’s mainly when the body repairs itself).
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Seek medical attention if your child is complaining of injuries or pain that is not settling—most often it can be a simple case of overload but there can be more serious conditions that require further investigating.
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Ensure they have a good diet and get a chance to eat properly. A great reference for footballers can be found at http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/footballdevelopment/medical/playershealth/food/index.html
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Communicating to the coaches when your child has a higher training load or reducing the non essential training sessions will allow them to cope with the essential sessions.
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Massage, stretching, foam rolling and treating acute injuries properly can make a big difference.
More useful reading can be found at the USA Soccer website link: http://www.usyouthsoccer.org/news/ sports_training_-_how_much_is_too_ much/ As always I am available at the club if you would like to have a chat about injury prevention, treatment and enhancing your performance, or text me for an appointment on 021673732.
Stay on your feet
Justin Lopes (Winsley, R.J. & Matos, N.) Trainablity of young athletes and overtraining. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2007) 6, 353-367
SPORTS PHYSIO ACC & Private provider • Education • Prevention • Treatment • Rehabilitation
PROUD TO BE PHYSIOTHERAPIST OF CHOICE FOR
WESTERN SPRINGS AFC Contact Justin on 021 673 732
www.backtoyourfeet.health.nz
Clinic is located upstairs at Western Springs Pavilion, Seddon Fields, 108 Meola Rd
10 May 2014 www.wsafc.org.nz